Device comprising a number of rotatable shelves

ABSTRACT

A device comprising a number of rotatable shelves which are suspended between two shelf carrying members in a manner so as to be kept horizontal during rotation, said shelf carrying members being rotatable in parallel, vertical planes around axes extending spaced apart from each other at the same height above a horizontal plane. Each of the shelves are provided at opposite sides thereof with shelf supports, the axes of which are separated by a distance equal to the distance between the rotational axes of said shelf carrying members, said shelf supports being connected with one and the other of said two shelf carrying members, respectively.

[H1 3,732,29 1 May/15,1973

[54] DEVICE COMPRISING A NUMBER OF ROTATABLE SHELVES [76] Inventor: Mogens Bech, Bakkevej 2, 2760 Ganlose pr. Malov, Denmark [22] Filed: Dec. 7, 1970 [21] Appl. No.2 95,827

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1,116,616 11/1914 Paddock ..108/95 1,269,825 6/1918 Langdon 108/94 1,823,565 9/1931 Hutchings "312/266 X 2,530,566 11/1950 Clark ..3l2/266 X 2,646,891 7/1953 Morgan ..21 1/131 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Attorney Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [57] ABSTRACT A device comprising a number of rotatable shelves which are suspended between two shelf carrying members in a manner so as to be kept horizontal during rotation, said shelf carrying members being rotatable in parallel, vertical planes around axes extending spaced apart from each other at the same height above a horizontal plane. Each of the shelves are provided at opposite sides thereof with shelf supports, the axes of which are separated by a distance equal to the distance between the rotational axes of said shelf carrying members, said shelf supports being connected with one and the other of said two shelf carrying members, respectively.

11 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Pmmmnw 1 Sim SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTEU 1 51975 3, 732,829

sum 3 BF 4 I DEVICE COMPRISING A NUWER OF ROTATABLE SHELVES The present invention relates to a device comprising a number of movable shelves which are at opposite sides thereof pivotably connected to two parallel shelf carrying members which are rotatable in difi'erent vertical planes, in such a manner that the shelves are kept horizontal during the movement.

Devices of this type may, by way of example, be employed as shelf arrangements inside cupboards, in particular cupboards of relatively great depth where great difficulties are encountered when removing objects placed in the rear of the cupboard and returning such objects in their place. Especially in the case of cupboards used for storing heavier objects such as, for instance, pots or the like, a device with movable shelves, with the aid of which it is possible to convey objects from a comparatively inaccessible position inside the cupboard into a position from which it is easy to remove said objects and to return them' to their place again, will result in a significant facilitation with regard to the work involved.

Moreover, the employment of movable shelf arrangements of the kind mentioned are known in the case of display shelves or display frames, Where different objects or display material of other kinds are to be shown in sequence.

Such movable shelf devices can, moreover, be used in connection with assembly work or the like in factories as a conveyor for carrying materials or apparatuses in various assembly stages between the individual places of work.

Devices of the kind stated are known, in which the shelves are suspended between two, usually wheelshaped or annular shelf carrying members which rotate around a common axis of rotation by means of pins or shafts which are rigidly connected with the shelves and pivotably joumalled in the carrying members. In order to maintain the shelves in these known constructions in a horizontal position, one or both of the said suspending pins of each shelf is rigidly connected with a connecting member having, for example, the shape of a crank, which connecting member is, usually, normal to the shelf surface, and which connecting member is, in its end remote from the shelf surface, either pivotally connected with a separate rotatable control means in the form of a wheel or a ring, the axis of rotation of which is parallel to, but displaced in relation to the said common axis of rotation, or provided with a pin which is restricted to moving in a circular track, the plane of which is at right angles to the common axis of rotation and the center of which is removed from this axis. Thus, in these known devices, a relatively complicated control system is employed for keeping the shelves horizontal during the movement, which circumstance significantly increases the price of the construction.

The present invention has for its object to provide another design of a device of the kind mentioned, in which the mechanical construction is considerably simpler and in which, in spite of this fact, a significant stability and rigidity of the construction is obtained.

In accordance with the invention a device is provided, comprising a number of movable shelves, which are, at opposite sides thereof, pivotably connected to two parallel shelf carrying members, which are rotatable in different vertical planes, around axes of rotation extending spaced apart from each other at the same height above a horizontal plane, each of said shelves being provided at said opposite sides thereof with two shelf supports, the axes of which are separated by a distance-equal to the distance between the rotational axes of said shelf carrying members, said shelf supports being connected with said shelf carrying members.

By suspending the shelves in this manner, it is possible to dispense entirely with the special connecting members and control means which, in the abovementioned known devices, are necessary for keeping the shelves horizontal, owing to the fact that the shelves are automatically maintained horizontal by means of the shelf carrying members by themselves, which members may be connected with the shelves by means of quite simple bearing elements. By this means, a considerably simpler, and thereby, cheaper construction is achieved which, moreover, is that easy to assemble that it is suitable for being supplied in the form of do-ityourself kits so as to enable the buyer to carry out the assembling himself and both the packaging and transportation of the shelf device is simplified hereby.

Since, furthermore, the number of shelves in the device according to the invention may be freely selected, due regard being taken, of course, to the dimensions of the objects that are to be placed on the shelves, a great flexibility with regard to the possible applications is obtained.

In the following, the invention is explained in greater detail with the aid of two embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a section along lines IIIIII in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention in a side elevation,

FIG. 5 shows a section along lines IV-IV in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 shows a section of a detail in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and

FIG. 7 shows a special embodiment of a shelf carrying member for use in a device according to the inventlon.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 a shelf arrangement comprising four shelves 1, 2, 3 and 4 is shown, which is suspended rotatably between two carrying members 5 and 6 which, in the embodiment shown, are constructed in the form of wind-mills, said carrying members being in this case X- shaped and having each a number of arms 7, 8, 9, l0 and 11, I2, 13, I4, respectively, corresponding to the number of shelves. The X'shaped carrying members 5 and 6 are, by means of bearing pins 17 and 18, respectively, mounted rotatably on individual stationary stands 15 and 16, respectively, which each has a bearing 19 or 20, respectively, shown only in FIG. 2, for accommodating the bearing pin. The bearings 19 and 20 are situated at the same height above a horizontal plane, and the two stands 15 and 16 are arranged in such a way that the axes of the bearings are parallel and spaced a certain distance apart. When building the illustrated construction into a cupboard of the aforementioned type, it is possible to dispense with the stands 15 and 16, in that the X-shaped carrying members 5 and 6 are suspended rotatably in bearings provided in individual stationary side ;walls of the cupboard, but always in such a way that the bearings are situated at the same height above a horizontal plane and have parallel axes spaced a certain distance apart.

Each of the shelves 1, 2, 3 and 4 is by means of bearing elements, the more detailed construction of which appears from FIG. 3, pivotably connected with two arms, one of which belongs to the carrying member 5 and the other to the carrying member 6. In FIG. 3, only the two upper shelves 1 and 2 in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are seen as well as the arms intended for suspending these shelves, viz. the arms 7 and 11 for the shelf 1 and the arms 8 and 12 for the shelf 2. However, the following description of the details concerning the pivotable connections between the shelf and carrying members also apply to the shelves 3 and 4 and the arms 9, 10, 13 and. 14 associated herewith. As shown in FIG. 3, in the proximity of the free end of each arm, a shelf carrier is secured in the arm in the form of a perpendicularly extending bearing pin of a length which, in the embodiment shown, is equal to approximately two thirds of the length of the shelf between the two X-shaped carrying members 5 and 6. Thus, in the arms 7, 8, 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 3, bearing pins 21, 22, 23 and 24 are secured in such a way that the bearing pins in the one end are inserted in mounting holes in the arms, intended for this purpose, which holes, for the arms belonging to one and the same X-shaped carrying member, are situated at equal distances from the axis of rotation of said carrying member. Each bearing pin is, in the end to be introduced into said mounting hole, provided, on one hand, with a fixed flange for abutment against the side of the arm facing the shelves, and, on the other hand, with a thread for a nut which is screwed on from the other side of the arm for securing the bearing pin to the arm.

Each of the bearing pins 21, 22, 23 and 24 is connected with one of the shelves 1 and 2 by means of a bearing which, in the simple embodiment shown, consists of co-axial eyes screwed into the underside of the shelf and having an internal diameter matching the diameter of the bearing pin, which eyes are placed in the shelf in such a way that each of them is, in the assembled state of the device, situated near one end of the bearing pin. Thus, for the bearing pin 21 secured in the arm 7 eyes 25 and 26 and for the bearing pin 23 secured in the arm 11 eyes 27 and 28 are screwed into the underside of the shelf 1, while eyes 28, 30 and 31, 32 are screwed into the underside of the shelf 2, for the bearing pins 22 and 24 secured in the arms 8 and 12, respectively.

In each shelf, the axes for the two pairs of eyes constituting the bearings for the bearing pins intended for suspending the shelf, are parallel and the distance between these axes is equal to the distance between the axes of rotation of the X-shaped carrying members 5 and 6, so that the shelves remain horizontal during the movement. Since the bearings constituted by the said eyes are relativelylong as compared to the length of the shelf between the X-shaped carrying members and, moreover, are adapted to the bearing pin, in that the eyes may, by way of example, be provided with linings of a wear-resistant plastic material, e.g. nylon, twisting of the shelves during the movement of same may be almost completely obviated, so that a satisfactory rigidity and stability of the device is achieved.

However, the construction shown of the connection members between the shelves 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the arms 7 to 14 of the carrying members 5 and 6 in the form of bearing pins, which are rigidly secured in the arm and fit in bearings, which are screwed into each of the shelves, is in no way limiting for the present invention. More particularly, said connection members may altematively consist of bearing pins of the same shape as shown in FIG. 3, which are rigidly secured to the underside of each shelf by means of suitable clamps and which fit in bearings provided in each of the arms of each carrying member at equal distances from the rotational axis thereof.

The movement of the shelves in the embodiment shown may, for example, take place manually by operating the shelves directly, for which purpose handles may be provided in one of the long sides of each shelf such as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 by the handles 33 and 34 on shelves 1 and 2. However, the movement can, of course, also take place by meansof an electromotor which, for instance, is driving one of the X shaped carrying member through a transmission (not shown).

In FIGS. 4 and 5 another embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown, in which a double shelf arrangement is suspended between two X-shaped carrying members 37 and 38 of the same form as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each of said members being thus provided with four arms and being rotatably connected to a rigid stand 35 and 36, respectively, said double shelf arrangement comprising two sets of shelves each having four shelves each 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43, 44, 45, 46, respectively. As appears from FIG. 5, in which only the shelves 39, 40, 43 and 44 are seen, the connection between said shelves and the arms 47, 48, 49 and 50, respectively, of the X-shaped carrying members 37 and 38, is just like the construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, obtained by means of bearing pins 51, 52, 53 and 54, which are screwed into said arms near the free ends thereof and at equal distances from the axes of rotation of the Xshaped carrying members 37 and 38, said axes coinciding in this embodiment with each other, each of which bearing pins fits into a bearing consisting of eyes secured to the underside of the shelf in question. At the ends facing each other, the shelves in the two shelf sets are pivotably connected to a common X-shaped carrying member 55, which is mounted rotatably in a circular recess 56 in a stationary partition 57 between the two sets of shelves, so that the axis of rotation of the X- shaped carrying member 55 extends parallel to the common axis of rotation of the X-shaped carrying members 37 and 38 at a certain distance herefrom. As shown in FIG. 6 in case of the arm 58, each of the arms 58, 59, 6G and 61 of the common carrying member 55 is, in the free end thereof provided with a wheel 62, 63, 64 and 65, respectively, which is movable in a circumferential track 66 in the edge of the recess 56 so that a low friction between the X-shaped carrying member 55 and the partition 57 is obtained. Thereby, the carrying member 55 is prevented from lateral movement relative to the partition 57. The arms 58, 59, and 61 have, near the free ends thereof and at equal distances from the axis of rotation of the common carrying member 55, mounting holes for shelf carriers in the form of bearing pins 67, 68, 69 and 70, respectively, extending perpendicularly at both sides of the arms, of which the bearing pins 67 and 68 are shown in FIG. 5. These beanng pins can, for example, be secured in the arms by means of locking screws 71, 72, 73 and 74, vide FIG. 3, which are screwed into tapped holes in the arms which extend perpendicular to and communicate with the mounting holes, as shown in FIG. 5 for the locking screw 71 serving to secure the bearing pin 67 in the arm 58 of the common carrying member.

Instead of the construction of the connection between the arms of the common carrying member and the edge of the recess 56 shown in FIG. 6, each of said arms may, in its free end, be provided with a small gear wheel which engages with a toothed rim arranged on the edge of the recess 56.

Each of the bearing pins 67, 68, 69 and is connected with a shelf of each of the two shelf sets by means of bearings which, like the bearings for the bearing pins connected to the arms of the carrying members 37 and 38, are each constituted by two coaxial eyes secured to the underside of the shelf in question. The shelves 39 and 43 are thus pivotably connected with the bearing pin 67 by means of eyes 75, 76 and 77, 78, respectively, and the shelves 40 and 44 are pivotably connected with the bearing pin 68 by means of eyes 79, and 81, 82, respectively. I

Just like in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it applies also to the construction shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 that the axes of the bearings, by means of which each shelf is connected with an arm of the common carrying member 55 and with an arm of one of the carrying members 37, 38, respectively, are parallel and that the distance between these axes is equal to the distance be tween the axis of rotation of the common carrying member 55 and the common axis of rotation of the carrying members 37 and 38.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shelves of the two shelf sets in the device are arranged side by side by means of the bearing pins 67, 68, 69 and 70 secured in the arms of the common carrying member 55, which pins are thus common to the shelves of the two sets. Hereby, an extraordinarily stable and reliable construction is obtained.

In FIG. 7, an embodiment of a carrying member for use in a device according to the invention is shown which is particularly suitable in case that it is important for the device to be flexible with respect to the number of suspended shelves. The carrying member shown, which is generally designated by 83, has the shape of a wheel which, by means of a central bearing pin may be mounted rotatably in a bearing in a stationary stand just like the X-shaped carrying members 5, 6 and 37, 38, respectively, shown in the preceding Figures. In the wheel 83, which, for instance, may be made of a hard veneer plate of great rigidity, there are, near the circumferential edge thereof and at equal distances from the center of the wheel provided a number of mounting holes -96 adapted for hearing pins of the construction shown in FIGS. l-5. When measuring anticlockwise and starting from the radius passing the hole 85, holes 86-96 are situated on radii which form the following angles with said radius: 30, 45, 210, 225, 270, 315 and 330. Thus, in a device according to the invention, in which carrying members of the construction shown in FlG. 7 are employed, it will be possible, when fitting the bearing pins into a suitable number of holes 85-96, to suspend at will, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 shelves between said carrying members in a construction corresponding to the one shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and 4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 shelves in a construction like the one shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and, in each of these cases, in such a way that the shelves are distributed in axial symmetry along the circular path of movement.

It will be evident that in addition to the construction shown on the drawings and described in the foregoing various other embodiments of shelf arrangements of the kind referred to are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus, as already mentioned, the pivotable connections between the shelves and the carrying members may for example, instead of consisting of bearing pins that are rigidly secured in the carrying members and fit into bearings which are secured to the shelves, be constituted of bearing pins which are rigidly connected with the shelves, in that, for example, two bearing pins are screwed into two opposite sides of each shelf in such a way that the axes of the bearing pins are parallel to each other and are separated by a distance corresponding to the distance between the axes of rotation of the carrying members, which bearing pins fit into bearings that are mounted in the carrying members in such a way that the hearings in one and the same carrying member are situated at equal distances from the axis of rotation of said carrying member.

It is, furthermore, possible to construct the rigid supports of the carrying members otherwise than in the form of the vertical stands as shown in the drawings as said supports may, for instance, extend horizontally from a wall or hang vertically down from a ceiling or some other flat surface located above the device, so the only condition being that the parallel axes of rotation of the carrying members have to be situated at the same height above a horizontal plane and at a certain distance from each other. The carrying members may also, as already mentioned, be fitted direct to the side walls of a cupboard.

By building the shelf device according to the invention into a relatively low and deep cupboard, eg a kitchen cupboard for storing pots or the like, a laborsaving device may be obtained by placing the access opening of such a cupboard in the top wall thereof, that is to say in alignment with the kitchen table, so that the stored objects can be removed at a height convenient to the user.

The movement of the shelves in the device may, as already mentioned, be effected in many different ways. When building the device into a cupboard, it may, for instance, be expedient to connect the one carrying member with a large hand wheel or the like for rotating the shelf arrangement either directly or by using a gear wheel through a suitable transmission. In connection with such a hand wheel, there may, moreover, be provided braking arrangements for the shelf device, so that said device may be held in any position.

What I claim is:

l. A rotatable shelf system, comprising two flat shelf carrying members,

rigid support means for rotatable suspension of said members in different vertical planes and with parallel axes of rotation extending spaced apart from each other at the same vertical height,

at least two flat shelves arranged in axial symmetry relative to each other between said shelf carrying members, and

two linear shelf support rods forming bearing pins pivotably connecting opposite sides of each shelf to each of the shelf carrying members so that the two pivot axes of one shelf about said rods extend parallel to each other with a spacing between them equal to the spacing between the parallel axes of rotation of said shelf carrying members and the pivot axes of all shelves relative to each shelf carrying member to which they are pivoted extending parallel to of said shelf carrying member.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf supports consist of bearing pins rigidly secured to the shelves and fitting in bearings arranged in the shelf cartying members.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bearing pins of each shelf project parallel to each other from said opposite sides of the shelf and at equal distances from a symmetry line extending parallel between said bearing pins.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf supports consist of shelf carriers rigidly secured in the shelf carrying members and shaped as bearing pins each fitting in at least one bearing provided on a shelf.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bearing for each shelf carrier consist of eyes secured to the underside of a shelf in axial alignment with each other.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf carrying members are shaped like wind-mills centrally suspended on said rigid support means and each comprising a number of arms equal to the number of shelves.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf carrying members are wheels centrally suspended on said rigid support means and each being provided, at equal distances from the center of the wheel, with a number of holes for said shelf support.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the holes in each wheel are arranged for axially symmetrical suspension of several different members of shelves.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an additional flat shelf carrying member, and

a rigid support means for rotatable suspension of said additional member in a vertical plane with an axis of rotation coinciding with one of the parallel axes of rotation of the other two shelf carrying members, the two shelf carrying members having coinciding axes of rotation being arranged symmetrically relative to each other on each side of the third shelf carrying member.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9 comprising two sets of shelves arranged symmetrically relative to each other on each side of said third shelf carrying member, said member being common to the shelves in both sets.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shelf supports for pivotably connecting the shelves to said common shelf carrying member consist of common shelf carriers rigidly secured in said common member and projecting from opposite sides thereof. 

1. A rotatable shelf system, comprising two flat shelf carrying members, rigid support means for rotatable suspension of said members in different vertical planes and with parallel axes of rotation extending spaced apart from each other at the same vertical height, at least two flat shelves arranged in axial symmetry relative to each other between said shelf carrying members, and two linear shelf support rods forming bearing pins pivotably connecting opposite sides of each shelf to each of the shelf carrying members so that the two pivot axes of one shelf about said rods extend parallel to each other with a spacing between them equal to the spacing between the parallel axes of rotation of said shelf carrying members and the pivot axes of all shelves relative to each shelf carrying member to which they are pivoted extending parallel to of said shelf carrying member.
 2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf supports consist of bearing pins rigidly secured to the shelves and fitting in bearings arranged in the shelf carrying members.
 3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bearing pins of each shelf project parallel to each other from said opposite sides of the shelf and at equal distances from a symmetry line extending parallel between said bearing pins.
 4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf supports consist of shelf carriers rigidly secured in the shelf carrying members and shaped as bearing pins each fitting in at least one bearing provided on a shelf.
 5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bearing for each shelf carrier consist of eyes secured to the underside of a shelf in axial alignment with each other.
 6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf carrying members are shaped like wind-mills centrally suspended on said rigid support means and each comprising a number of arms equal to the number of shelves.
 7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shelf carrying members are wheels centrally suspended on said rigid support means and each being provided, at equal distances from the center of the wheel, with a number of holes for said shelf support.
 8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the holes in each wheel are arranged for axially symmetrical suspension of several different members of shelves.
 9. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an additional flat shelf carrying member, and a rigid support means for rotatable suspension of said additional member in a vertical plane with an axis of rotation coinciding with one of the parallel axes of rotation of the other two shelF carrying members, the two shelf carrying members having coinciding axes of rotation being arranged symmetrically relative to each other on each side of the third shelf carrying member.
 10. A system as claimed in claim 9 comprising two sets of shelves arranged symmetrically relative to each other on each side of said third shelf carrying member, said member being common to the shelves in both sets.
 11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shelf supports for pivotably connecting the shelves to said common shelf carrying member consist of common shelf carriers rigidly secured in said common member and projecting from opposite sides thereof. 